MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Monday said the nation was renewing its sympathy and solidarity with the people of Hong Kong and families of the victims of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila bus hostage incident which marks its first anniversary on Tuesday.
“We recognize the grief that continues to burden the relatives of the victims and we remain committed to reforms and improvements that will move relations between our peoples forward,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement he issued on the eve of the first anniversary of the tragedy.
Lacierda reiterated anew the actions taken by the government to prevent a repeat of the incident and that included improving the capability and equipment of the Special action Force and the creation of a tourism police to ensure the safety of visitors.
And to demands for compensation, he said that concerned private citizens have put up a solidarity fund for the families of the victims “in keeping with the deep solidarity Filipinos feel for the victims and their families.”
“The Philippines has undertaken the investigations into official culpability resulting in a dismissal and the filing of administrative charges against four police officials,” Lacierda also said.
In a briefing Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace “understood the depth of the wounds” the incident had on the families of the victims” when told that the visiting families of the Hong Kong tourists had expressed anger and their desire for an apology for the tragedy.
Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed, as well as the dismissed police officer who took them hostage, in a bungled police rescue operation at the Quirino Grandstand on Aug. 23 last year, causing a rift in the relations between Manila and Hong Kong.